The queer community in the Philippines has always been at the receiving end of jest and quips. Their existence is tolerated at best, but remains mostly boxed into roles and jokes for casual entertainment. Moreover, the worst part is that they are continually being denied their basic rights, with no laws protecting them from gender-based discrimination. There is no doubt, then, that they are still being oppressed to this day.
This marginalization, however, is not experienced in isolation. It is also shaped by other social identities, such as language, race, gender expression, religion, and class. These overlap in multiple ways, allowing people to experience privilege and suppression differently. Therefore, being marginalized in one space does not prevent complicity in another, as studies on gender dynamics have suggested.
This underscores a complex reality: people can victimize others while also being a victim themselves.
Instilled power dynamics
The concept of how the marginalized can also maltreat fellow victims was prompted by Brazilian educator and philosopher Paulo Freire, who argued in the first chapter of his book titled Pedagogy of the Oppressed that the oppressed may unknowingly exhibit the mindset of their oppressors. He further explicated that the idea of being victims can obscure their judgment and cause them to commit acts of oppression.
An example of this occurrence is within the queer community, where gay men tend to contribute to harmful dynamics against women, usually misogyny.
Rodmar Eda, a lecturer from the Department of Sociology and Behavioral Sciences, explains: “Subconsciously, people in general can have misogynistic tendencies, and queer and gay men are no exception to this.”
While such is not inherent in gay men, they may still, knowingly or unknowingly, participate in systems that disadvantage women. Fellow women, too, can also take part in perpetuating this culture of unwarranted aggression: “Anyone can be misogynistic, even women themselves. It can be internalized. In the case of gay men, [it’s when they] antagonize women and see them as competitors for certain things.”
Bahaghari Chairperson Reyna Valmores Salinas posits that, in the context of Filipino queer spaces, members of the community are still susceptible to misogynistic ideas. However, she also emphasizes that the social system itself is fundamentally oppressive, which is why misogyny cannot be blamed on a single individual or group. “We need to understand that it pervades everyone regardless of gender… The predominant culture in the Philippines is feudal-patriarchal—mababa ang tingin sa babae at sa [queers]—and whether you are a woman or an [LGBTQIA+] individual,…those values are instilled in [us].”
(They think lowly of women and queer people.)
How misogyny plays out
Misogyny refers to the unjustified contempt for women. This can take on many forms, from outright discriminating against a woman’s skills in male-dominated fields to subtly pitting women against each other. Regardless of its execution, acts of misogyny directly torment women.
Frances* (III, AB-CAM) recalls when her friend “was actively treated as an ‘other’ by a group of drunk gay men she met in a Pride event, all because she didn’t fit their standards of beauty.” Similarly, Marcy Domingo (III, AB-PSY) also remembers a time when her queer identity was suddenly targeted, leading her to “feel unsafe” in a supposed safe haven.
The exclusion of transgender women in the LGBTQIA+ community is arguably another story. Last March, discourse on transgender women’s participation in Women’s Month began to circulate, with queer individuals themselves claiming that “actual” women were robbed of the celebration. One arguing on the matter was a cisgender gay man, who believed that trans women celebrating their womanhood were actively impeding on the rights of cisgender women.
According to a London-based study, this phenomenon is heavily influenced by the framework of a patriarchal society that systematically oppresses those who defy social order.
“Misogyny among gay men can be seen as a ‘byproduct’ of the patriarchal system that the greater world operates on,” Abijah Sta. Ana, president of DLSU Prism, contends. This concept highlights that since femininity greatly deviates from men’s standards, a “level of disdain and hostility” has plagued those who display even an ounce of femininity.
Therefore, it becomes clear that misogyny is rooted in the antagonism of femininity, which harms not just women but society as a whole, even those adhering to patriarchy’s sense of normality.
Women’s two cents
With the continued pervasion of misogyny in queer spaces, there needs to be accountability. According to Salinas, it is important to utilize “educational campaigns and educational sessions to discuss the history…of the women’s movement and how it intertwines with [LGBTQIA+] struggles” because being oppressed does not excuse oppressive behavior.
But to achieve proper inclusivity in queer spaces, “We have to make concrete steps towards providing an alternative progressive culture for everyone,” Salinas highlights. “Unfortunately, part talaga [roon ‘yung] babanggain mo ‘yung mga maling gawi ng mga tao.”
(…there’s really a part where you have to call out people’s poor behavior.)
Recognizing the undivided struggle against patriarchal systems is crucial in building more inclusive and supportive communities.
“Having oppression olympics, where you deem this issue to be more valuable than the other…is detrimental to the progress of our community,” Frances conveys. “We need to remember that these acts of discrimination oppresses all of us.”
*Names with asterisks (*) are pseudonyms.
This article was published in The LaSallian‘s June 2025 issue. To read more, visit bit.ly/TLSJune2025.
